TUSCALOOSA, Alabama – The Alabama football team will hold its second and final full scrimmage of the preseason this afternoon in Bryant-Denny Stadium. As usual, the session will be closed to the general public and news media.

“The biggest thing that I think we're focused on for this Saturday is how much do we improve as a team,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said after practice Thursday. “What I talk to the players about is, this is a tough week. There's lots of practices, the players are probably tired of camp. …

“What's inside of you relative to what you do, how you finish, the kind of attitude you have, the kind of character you compete with?”

Saban is preaching mental toughness and maturity to his players.

"They cannot make errors, whether it's illegal procedure in a two-minute drive that kills you, or a defensive player jumping offsides in a two-minute that gives them a first down and gives them more opportunities,” he said.

"Those are the kinds of things that we're trying to zero in on right now, as well as working on some of our opponents who create problems that we don't basically see in practice.”

Junior Eddie Lacy, Alabama’s top running back, said there’s a different feel to a second scrimmage.

He noted that there were many mental errors in the first scrimmage a week ago.

“So this one, everybody's coming out and trying to make less of those mistakes than they made in the first one,” he said.

Saban said the coaching staff wanted to limit Lacy to between six and 10 rushing attempts in the first scrimmage. Coming off foot surgery that kept him out of spring practice, Lacy ran eight times for 57 yards and caught five passes for 25 yards.

“I don't know about this week,” Lacy said when asked Thursday if he’d be restricted again. “It might be the same, it might not.

“Either way it doesn't matter. As long as I'm out there and I execute what I have to execute, it's OK.”

Lacy was asked if he’s feeling closer to 100 percent healthy.

“I wouldn't put a percent on it,” he said. “I'm just going to continue to rehab and take it a day at a time and bring it like that the whole season.”